The Zigzag Road

How would you react to a sign that tells you to reverse up to (or down to) the next turn?

I know it is getting repetitive, but today was another perfect summers day, and again we planned to be tourists.

Our first planned activity, a 90 minute return hike to Wapta Falls, was thwarted by recent high winds that downed
many trees across trails. After negotiating some of them we tired of hiking on our hands and knees and gave up.
We contented our selves with a nice walk around Emerald Lake, and stopped early to find ourselves a camping
spot at Monarch Camping Ground just east of the town of Field.

After a midday rest we headed up the road past the campground to Takakkaw Falls to find the most amazing
segment of road I have ever seen. The sign below, at the beginning of a set of three switchbacks,
instructs drivers of vehicle over 7 meters to reverse up the hill between the first and second switchback.
The reason is that the second turn is too tight for long vehicles to make in one go.

However the sign is immediately before the first turn and gives driver no time to digest
before the unusual action is required. Add to this the fact that few drivers would believe
a sign telling one to reverse on a public road, and the fact that most vehicles over 7 meters are being driven by
European tourists in rented motorhomes. The result is a lot of confusion at that second turn, some vehicles manage to
proceed by backing-and-filling many times to negotiate the corner while others simply give up and retrace their path.
In any case it seems like a great spot for some entertaining driver watching.

I should not forget to mention that the falls are spectacular, and at this time of year very powerful.